Contractible display and shipping case



June 26, 1923. 1,460,185 I M. L. WEBSTER CONTRACTIBLE DISPLAY AND SHIPPING CASE Filed Jan. '7, 1922 Fig Fig. 4.

Invzrztar', Melvin L. Webser, 6g

Attorney.

Patented June 26, 1923.

UNlTEE STATES PATENT @FFICE.

MELVIN L. WEBSTER, OF INDEPENDENCE, IOWA, ASSIGNOR T MINERVA P. WEBSTER, OF INDEPENDENCE, IOWA.

CONTRACTIIBLE DISPLAY AND SHIPPING CASE.

Application filed January '7, 1922. Serial No. 527,745.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MELvIN L. VVnBs'rnR, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Contractible Display and Shipping Cases, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in contractible display and shipping cases, particularly to that type which is employed for shipping and displaying packages of seeds, and the object of my improvement is to provide a stepped open top case of this character having dividing means suitable for segregating difi'erent packets in different places therein, certain parts of the case being foldable or collapsible to contract the di mensions thereof.

This object I have accomplished by the means which are hereinafter described and claimed, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one of my improved shipping and display cases, and 2 is a vertical longitudinal section thereof. Fig.

3 is a. rear elevation, and Fig. t an under plan view of the device, both showing the intermediate hinged flap extended. Fig. 5 is a plan of the rear and under parts of the case, showing the intermediate and side flaps folded upon each other, and Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the case in its contracted condition.

Similar numerals of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views.

My improved case is intended for use by. dealers in seed packets, particularly, but of course, can be used to transport other goods and display them. The device may be considerably modified in its dimensions, parts and appearance, without departing from the invention.

The case has a stepped bottom whose horizontal steps 7 are positioned rigidly between sides 1, the latter having hingedly connected lower corner flaps 2, which, when eX- tended, form part of the sides and supports for the case. The different parts of the case are preferably made from corrugated fiber board or other light material for cheapness and strength. As shown in Fig. 2, the front and rear walls also the stepped parts of the case between the side pieces 1, may be shaped by bending appropriately to supply a plurality of open top transverse compartments at different levels. The respective parts of this bent board supply a low front wall 6, steps 7 separated by raised doubled parts or walls 5 and 4 and a rear wall 3, the upper side edges of the case being sloped forwardly and downwardly.

In order to subdivide these transverse compartments and to segregate and retain packets 12 in unmixed piles, orifices 10 are provided in the front and rear walls and in the intermediate walls 5 and 4 alined obliquely to receive a stretched cord 11 whose ends are knotted together at the rear of the case.

Intermediate the side walls 12 is positioned a transverse plate 9 having its upper longitudinal margin hinged by means of a flexible flap 8 to the rear of the transverse wall t. When this plate 9 is extended downwardly, as shown in Fig. 2, its ends engage and hold apart the corner-flaps 2 in their extended position to support the ease upright. Then it is desired to contract the dimensions of the case for packing or shipping, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the plate 9 is folded into contact with the middle stepped part 7 and the triangular side flap 2 then folded thereover.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

A contractible display and shipping case, comprising an inclined stepped bottom plate shaped by crosswise bending to have raised front walls for the steps thereof providing a plurality of open top compartments, side plates closing the ends of said compartments and having their lower rear corner parts foldable inwardly only to provide easel members, and a rigid flap hinged to the under part of said bottom plate between said corner parts, said flap when swung in one direction acting to prop apart said easel members, and when swung oppositely to release said corner parts permitting them to be folded over inwardly upon said bottom plate to contract the case in dimensions.

Signed at Independence, Ia., this 12th day of Dec., 1921.

MELVIN L. WEBSTER. 

